Trauma is a response to an intensely stressful event(s) or situation(s). The consequences might endure a long time, yet there is hope for recovery.

Traumatic experiences may strike anybody at any age and have long-term consequences for your physical and mental health.

Although each person’s experience is unique, there are certain common causes and symptoms of post-traumatic stress, such as anxiety, flashbacks, and sleep disruption, that many people share.

Conversations concerning trauma’s definition are always changing depending on new information as researchers and therapists learn more. That’s why some medical professionals disagree on what defines trauma.

Many people may just overcome the negative impacts from certain event(s) or situation(s), enhance their quality of life, and move toward recovery with effective treatment and social support, particularly via trauma centered therapy.

So Let’s See What Is Trauma?

Trauma is the psychological response to an event that overwhelms you, resulting in shock, denial, and changes in your body, mind, and behavior.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), trauma is an event you experience as harmful or life-threatening.

It has long-term negative consequences for your mental, physical, emotional, social, and spiritual health.

Trauma is typically associated with significant event(s) such as physical or sexual assault, violence, or accidents. It can also be a reaction to a series of events, such as continuous emotional abuse or childhood neglect.

And not everyone who has experienced a traumatic event will have long-lasting effects.

Complex Trauma

Trauma that occurs on a regular basis can have a long-term effect. This is known as complex trauma. Complex trauma is often associated with childhood trauma.

Early traumatic events can have a deep influence on your worldview, sense of self, and relationships.

What are the psychological and physical consequences of trauma?

Trauma may affect your emotional, social, and physical well-being, among other areas of your life.

Extreme stress overwhelms both the body and the mind, causing the nervous system to go into “fight, flight, or freeze” mode.

Symptoms of post-traumatic stress are the result of an overwhelmed nervous system, which means your body and mind are unable to adequately digest the traumatic experiences as they are happening.

The symptoms that are common after trauma include:

– avoiding things that remind you of the trauma, including people, places, or objects
– being very aware of the danger
– being easily startled or “jumpy”
– you get easily activated by triggers that remind you of the trauma, whether consciously or subconsciously
– changes happen in your self-perception, such as the believing you are “bad” and feeling excessive guilt or shame
– have a small window of tolerance, meaning you feel overwhelmed easily or have difficulty controlling your emotions

Traumatic stress can affect your physical health as well. Somatic symptoms are body-based affects that might include:

– chest pain
– migraines
– chronic pain
– sleep problems

Causes And Types of Trauma

Trauma is less about the event and more about how you responded to it.

However, certain experiences are more likely to cause trauma than others.

According to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, the following events can cause trauma:

– childhood neglect
– sexual trauma
– family trauma
– disaster trauma
– refugee trauma
– medical trauma
– traumatic grief
– terrorism and violence
– intimate partner violence

According to The Jed Foundation (JED) – a non-profit organization that protects emotional health and prevents suicide in the USA, divides trauma in three categories:

Emotional trauma refers to the emotions we experience as a result of traumatic events.

Emotional trauma, which is characterized by a feeling of being unsafe in one’s own body, can affect brain function and lead to a broad sense of hopelessness.

Secondary trauma, also known as vicarious trauma, refers to being a witness to a traumatic event.

Witnessing a horrific event can have a negative influence on your emotional health.

Complex trauma can refer to a single traumatic experience that’s repeated over the years or multiple (different) traumatic events, that were happening over a couple of months or years.

Continuous stress in inescapable situations, like being held captive or experiencing repeated abuse during childhood, is considered to cause this sort of trauma.

It’s commonly linked to complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD), a condition that’s becoming increasingly widely recognized, in the mental health community as a distinct subtype of PTSD.

You shall know that all emotional wounds need an approach of empathy and compassion and all events that cause you harm require validation, help, and support.

What Mental Health Conditions Are Linked To Trauma?

Trauma is linked to a number of medical conditions, including:

PTSD:

Not everyone who experiences trauma will develop PTSD, but around 20% will meet the diagnostic criteria.

Dissociative Disorders:
Dissociation is a common response to trauma. According to the American Psychiatric Association, trauma is associated to 90 percent of dissociative disorders.

The following are examples of dissociative disorders:

– dissociative identity disorder
– dissociative amnesia or dissociative fugue
– depersonalization/derealization disorder

Borderline personality disorder:
According to a study published in 2021, in 30% to 90% of cases, borderline personality disorder (BPD) is linked to abuse and neglect in childhood.

Depression:
Depression is a common response to trauma, and it manifests itself in a lack of energy and feelings of worthlessness, among other symptoms.

Anxiety disorders:
Anxiety symptoms, such as dread and panic, often overlap with PTSD symptoms.
It might arise when you’re faced with something that reminds you of a trauma. Some people may even develop anxiety disorders related to trauma.

How To Heal From Trauma?

It is possible to recover from trauma, even if it is hard.

One of the most effective ways to heal is through trauma-focused psychotherapy.

The following therapies for trauma are strongly recommended by the American Psychological Association:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)

Prolonged Exposure (PE) Therapy

What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?

CBT is usually seen as the first line of defense against trauma. Research shows that this type of therapy can be helpful in minimizing the symptoms of PTSD. According to the American Psychological Association (APA) it works by helping you identify unhelpful (unhealthy) thinking styles, to learn coping skills in order to deal with difficult situations, and help you gain a better understanding of why other people behave the way they do.

There is no set time period for how long CBT takes to help you heal from trauma. Depending on your progress, it might take anything from a few months to several years.

What Is Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)?

Cognitive processing therapy (CPT) is a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy that has been shown to be beneficial in treating PTSD symptoms caused by a range of traumatic events, such as child abuse, war, rape, and natural disasters.

CPT is usually provided over the course of 12 sessions and teaches patients how to challenge and modify harmful trauma beliefs.

As a result, the patient develops a fresh perspective and interpretation of the traumatic event, reducing its long-term negative effects on his or her current life.

What Is Prolonged Exposure (PE) therapy?

According to the APA, this method teaches you how to gradually confront the feelings connected with a trigger in a safe environment, because most individuals prefer to avoid anything that has to do with trauma.

With one session each week it normally takes three months to complete.
According to research, this strategy may be beneficial for people who have chronic or repeated PTSD.

Important Advice!

Furthermore, Expressive Arts Therapy, which includes creative writing, drawing or theater, can also help heal trauma in addition to regular psychotherapy.

Expressive Writing is also one way to help people cope with trauma, according to a study published in 2019. This writing is used to dive deeper into your thoughts, opinions, and emotions rooted in experiences, memories, and trauma.


Looking Forward

Talking to a therapist can provide a sense of comfort by helping you in identifying symptoms and better understanding the consequences of traumatic situations.

As you seek to identify, and explore what trauma means, remember to be compassionate toward yourself because learning about trauma can be a challenging process.

Remember that having support is also very important in your process of healing.

Learning about trauma increases more awareness about this widespread issue by providing you with skills to help you and others recover from it.

Last but not the least, be always hopeful and take heart in the fact that people who devote themselves to healing can live happy and productive lives.

If for some reason, you are alone in this and have no support system to give you a hand and to help you get up – please feel free to reach out to us.
We would be delighted if you wrote us. We might have suggestions and prayers as support for you as you go through your difficult situations.

We additionally suggest that saying a simple prayer to God Jesus Christ, who is our best Friend in hard times where no one is there to help us, is the best way of support, despite the ones we might have from people.

Asking for a solution to the problem in prayer is the light on the dark path you are walking right now. Such a prayer will lead you to the right people who will understand your heart and thoughts and will help you with resources and the care you need.

We can’t stress enough how important prayer is, especially when asking about having the right people, the honest ones, who seek our good and are the right people who can help us, according to our hearts and character as we go through the difficult times.

For any other questions, don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments below.